A complete life
by DutchLady
Summary: Yes, another Donna remembers story. I couldn't resist.


Donna Noble lay in her hospital bed. Donna was dying of cancer, she didn't have long anymore. She had had a great life. She had been married to her husband for forty years, they had been blessed with a son and daughter and four grandchildren. She lay on her deathbed and remembered all those special moments. Celebrating all those birthdays, Christmas's with loads of presents, going on holidays with her family. But the heartache as well, the death of her mother and her beloved grandfather.

But in the back of her mind there was something that had always eluded her. Something she couldn't remember, something important. It was always there, like a mean person in the back of her mind, pointing at her and laughing just because she couldn't remember that important something. She had spent her whole life with the question of not knowing, and in a way it bothered her. But she couldn't change it now, it was too late. She looked at her family and gave them a brave smile through her pain.

The quiet conversations were abruptly halted when a tall, thin man in a pin striped suit entered the room. Donna's son Derek rose to his feet.

'Please sir, I have to ask you to leave.'

The man held up his hand. 'I just come to say goodbye to Donna.'

All the people in the room looked at Donna. Who looked at the man in utter bewilderment. 'Who are you? I've never seen you before in my life.'

That was the proof that Derek needed. 'You heard my mother. I'm going to ask you one last time to leave.'

Then the man said nothing, he just looked at Donna. As if pleading to her to allow him to talk to her. And it was something in his eyes that struck a cord in Donna's head.

'I remember you. You were at my mum's house a long time ago.'

'Yes I was.' The gently pushed Derek out of his way, walked towards the bed and took her hand in his. 'I had to do something to save your life that day, and after I did that I had to leave in order for you to stay alive.'

'I don't understand.' said Donna.

'I can explain a lot about your life. Do you want me to do that in private of with your family present?'

'You know why I have a gap in my memory?'

'Yes.'

'Please, just tell me.'

At that point Donna's husband Lee interrupted. 'It's finally time Doctor? She can finally know?'

'Yes Lee. I knew that once I unlocked Donna's memories she would burn up. The human body isn't designed to cope with all that knowledge and now…'

The Doctor stopped talking when Donna squeezed his fingers, extremely hard. His Donna was still in that frail body. And she gave him a stare that reminded him of her younger self. Standing in the Tardis, in her wedding dress, screaming at him that he had kidnapped and drugged her.

He looked Donna in the eye. 'Donna, I have an incredible story to tell you. My name is the Doctor. I have the ability to travel in time and in space. And for a while you travelled with me…'

And the Doctor told her everything. He told her about how they met, how she found him again, about Pompeii, the Ood, the Sontarans. Throughout his story Donna looked at him blankly, but by the time he reached the Library there was a flicker of something that she recognized. When he reached the events on Midnight and the Daleks, Donna was crying. She clutched his hand more firmly. Her other hand reached up and put one finger on his lips, shutting him up.

'Hello Martian Boy.'

The Doctor gave her a huge grin. 'Hello Earth Girl.'

With a lot of effort Donna lifted herself up and grabbed him in a big hug. Clinging onto him as if he was a life preserver. The Doctor slung his long arms around her, overjoyed.

'You went back to The Library and found Lee. Didn't you?'

'Donna, it was the least I could do.'

Donna released him and settled back in the pillows. Her eyes moist and red and puffy, but the smile wouldn't leave. Her mind was at peace and in turmoil all at once.

'After I left you at your mum's house, I went to The Library. I accessed the memory banks and was able to salvage a bit from the little corner of the hard drive that you inhabited. I only managed to download a single image. You and Lee sitting by a lake, fishing. Once I knew what he looked like, it was fairly easy to track him down. I explained to him what had happened to you, brought him to Earth and made sure to you would meet him again. And the rest is as they say history.'

Donna looked at him and wasn't entirely sure if she should be mad at him for interfering with her life in that way or if she should thank him for returning Lee to her. She settled on hugging him again.

'Do you want me to finally tell you how you can fix the chameleon circuit?' said Donna a bit cheekily.

The Doctor just smiled at her.

'I'm already burning up. I can feel it.' said Donna.

'I know,' said the Doctor. 'It's why I waited until today. This is the day that you die, Donna.'

Donna nodded. She had known all along, even before the Doctor had come and had told her everything, that this was the day she was going to die. She looked around the room, looked at her children and grandchildren and her life was complete. She felt the Doctor rise from the bed, he leaned over and gently kissed her burning forehead.

'Goodbye, my brilliant Donna Noble.'

'Goodbye Doctor.'

The Doctor left the room.

Donna McAvoy Noble died peacefully in her sleep an hour later. Surrounded by her family, and dreaming of a thin man in a magical blue box.


End file.
